2026 - 2027 Internal Competition Themes

Below are brief descriptions of each theme. For more complete details and suggestions, see the 2026/2027 Categories and Themes document

 September 2026 – Food in Any Form

The “Food in any form” theme allows the photographer to be creative in their approach. Food is more than sustenance, it can be art, it represents culture and provides comfort. Let your creativity show, by defining food in a unique way. Food in any form means just that.

October 2026 – Blue Hour

Blue hour happens just before sunrise and after sunset, so plan ahead and be ready when light is at its peak.

November 2026 - Life in Motion

This theme is about capturing movement, energy, and change in everyday life. Your photo can show obvious action, like a person running, a bird flying, waves crashing, traffic moving, or children playing. It can also show quieter forms of motion, such as wind in the trees, drifting clouds, flowing water, a pet stretching, hands at work, or a moment that feels like it is unfolding.

January 2027 - Through the Window

Window: Noun, one definition: an opening especially the wall or roof of a building usually covered with glass for the admission of light and air. Capable of being opened and shut. The plan for the making of the image:

• What would you like the story to be?

• Where can you go to get the story?

• What equipment will you need? Eg tripod or no tripod,

• What time of day or night?

• How much of the window do you want to include?

Themes give the photographer a chance to shoot activities possibly outside their norm.

February 2027 – Complementary Colours

Complementary colours are colours that are opposite to each other on the colour wheel. As Bryan Peterson says in his book Understanding Colour in Photography, they create compositions where the colours leap off the page.

March 2027 – Silhouettes

Silhouette photography is a technique where your subject appears as a solid, dark shape against a brighter background.  This shifts the viewer’s focus from the fine details that usually draw the eye in an evenly lit image to the dramatic contrast and compelling outlines of the silhouette.